I tossed this together to show one of the greatest advantages of using specialty bars for dynamic effort training.
Some notes:
1. The table and weeks below are ONLY an example and not a program - it is only to illustrate.
2. The bar maxes listed are not related to each other in any way. I just stuck it what would be easiest to understand.
3. The percents used for each wave are also just added as an easy way to see the main point.
Definitions:
Intensity - the percent of weight related to 1 Rm or Pm (perceived)
Volume - sets x reps.
Work Load - sets x reps x weight.
Take Away:
The take away here is you will notice within each three-week wave the Intensity is the same (50,55,60). You will also see the volume is the same (20 reps), but over each 3-week wave the workload is ascending from 3000 to 6300.
Now here is the cool thing here. Is there any other way in programing for strength you can double the workload without manipulating the Intensity of Volume?
The core principle here is not limited to any style of programming. When you understand what is happening you can begin to apply and test in different ways.
For example, if you use a linear method of periodization and use a deload every 4 weeks; example
Week 1 - 60%
Week 2 - 62%
Week 3 - 64%
Week 4 - 50%
Week 5 - 66%
* What if instead of the week 4 at 50% you swapped out the straight bar for a yoke bar ( that your max maybe 100 pounds less than) and hit the 66% and then went to 68% on week 5? This may be a deeper deload without a drop in Intensity — just something to think about.
Specialty Bars can simply be a nice change to implement here and there or they can become part of a more strategic plan.
This same thought process can be applied to the Bench Press and deadlift as both have a variety of speciality bars than can be used with them.
To take this one more level it can also be applied with stances, grips and ranges of motion ( Pulls off the floor, 1 block, 2 blocks, 3 blocks, deficient deadlifts)
AGAIN - THIS IS NOT A PROGRAM OR SHOULD BE SEEN AS ONE. IT'S ONLY USED TO DEMONSTRATE HOW SPECIALITY BARS CHANGE WORK LOAD. THIS REASON I AM WRITTING THIS AGAIN IS BECUASE IF IT WAS A PROGRAM IT WOULD SUCK!
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